Vision & Age

If your baby's eye is injured, it is tempting to think that you can just flush it out with some cold water and it will be fine. However, it is not easy to judge the extent or severity of any eye injury, so you should always get immediate, professional medical attention. It is the best way to safeguard your baby's vision.

What you can do to help

Here are some steps you can take in the event of an eye injury.

Trauma to the Eye: If your baby is hit in the eye, rest a protective shield—such as a Styrofoam cup—on the bone around the eye. Make sure there is no pressure on the eye itself.

Foreign Body: If an object has entered the eye, do not try to remove it; you may tear delicate tissue or force the object in deeper. Rest a protective shield—such as a Styrofoam cup—on the bone around the eye, making sure there is no pressure on the eye itself.

Black Eye: If your baby is hit in the eye area, place an ice pack or cold cloth over the eye.

Chemical Burn: If your baby's eye has sustained a chemical burn, rinse it with fresh water for at least 15 minutes. Hold their head under the tap or use a clean container to pour water into their eye. As you rinse, use your fingers to hold their eye open as wide as possible to ensure the greatest possible coverage.

Recognizing eye injuries

Any of the following symptoms may signal serious eye injury. You should get immediate medical attention if your child experiences:

• Obvious pain or vision problems
• Cut or torn eyelid
• One eye that does not move as completely as the other
• One eye that protrudes more than the other
• Abnormal pupil size or shape
• Blood in the white of the eye
• Something imbedded in the eye
• Something under the eyelid that cannot be easily removed